NBA moves All-Star Game from Charlotte

Submitted by Lionsfan on

It's being reported basically everywhere, but the NBA is following through on its threat to move the All-Star game out of North Carolina over recent bigoted laws aimed at the LGBTQ community.

 

Without any movement by state legislators in North Carolina to change newly enacted laws targeted at the LGBT community, the NBA is pulling the 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte, league sources told The Vertical.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver had threatened to move All-Star Weekend out of Charlotte unless a discriminatory North Carolina law aimed at the state’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community was changed – and time to do so has run out because of the logistics and planning the NBA needs to run its marquee midseason event, league sources said.

The league is reportedly looking towards New Orleans as a replacement host.

Edit, forgot the link. From Yahoo! Sports

rainingmaize

July 21st, 2016 at 5:52 PM ^

This is a win win for the NBA. People who are for this law or anti LGBT (please lets not have that discussion here) aren't going to stop following the league. Meanwhile, this is the biggest endorsment any league has given to the LGBT community. They may have gained some fans with this decision.

Lakeyale13

July 21st, 2016 at 7:42 PM ^

I would argue that the "main issue" of the bill doesn't discriminate against anyone. It simply states that a men's room is to be used by someone who has a penis and a women's restroom is to be used by someone with a vagina. The "bathroom bill" makes no statement on sexuality. It simply makes a statement on anatomy.

VicTorious1

July 21st, 2016 at 9:57 PM ^

That's not true. This is a UM blog. At least provide a scientifically accurate response even if you politically support this legislation. A person could have XXY chromosomes. Additionally, from a biological standpoint, sex is determined at birth by five characteristics: the sex chromosomes present (both type and number); internal reproductive organs; the presence of testicles or ovaries (both of which are gonads); the presence of varying types of sex hormones; and the visible/external genitalia. If these five characteristics are not all generally male or alternatively female at birth, the person is intersex.

VicTorious1

July 22nd, 2016 at 7:20 AM ^

Approximately 89% of fetuses with XXY chromosomes are miscarried. Nonetheless, that's not a valid argument for their nonexistence, especially where this legislation addresses the sex of a given person. Additionally, you continue to use sex and gender interchangeably. Please note, they are not the same.

Lakeyale13

July 22nd, 2016 at 4:32 PM ^

I am Referring to the classical definitions of "sex" and "gender" that have been held since their inception into the English language. I am interested in true definitions of words that come from their original meaning, not what someone decides the word means today.

Go Blue in NC

July 21st, 2016 at 5:53 PM ^

Being on the ground here in NC, you gotta feel sympathy for Charlotte. The city had actually passed a whole host of anti-discrimination legislation which was effectively overridden by state politics up in Raleigh. I understand the NBA standing up for what it had threatened but I've got to admit I'm disappointed I won't get to see the faces of the league playing here in February.

maizenbluenc

July 21st, 2016 at 7:47 PM ^

The irony here is the exact city who the State Legislature has blocked from passing pro LGBT ordinances is the one that has been punished the most by the withdrawal of an employer and now the NBA all-star game. Why those same entities would not come out in support of the city instead is a shame.

Rmilkman

July 22nd, 2016 at 12:44 AM ^

North Carolina resident as well, and I agree with everything you're saying. My uneducated perspective on this law is that Governor McCrory is too stubborn to admit that this is a stupid piece of legislation. The NBA is just the latest organization to essentially boycott the state. I absolutely understand and respect this move, whether it's actually a moral thing, or simply a business and PR decision on their part.

Jon06

July 21st, 2016 at 5:57 PM ^

Is there some website where I take out a prop bet that Louisiana will enact an identical anti-LGBT law before the game tips off?

gord

July 21st, 2016 at 6:15 PM ^

Ok, why not move all Hornets games then if the law is so bad?  New Orleans had to play on OKC after Katrina so it can be done.  Heck, move the team to Seattle or Conn (both have WNBA teams).

HL2VCTRS

July 21st, 2016 at 7:53 PM ^

He actually touches on that dilemma. He recognizes that it's not a perfect solution and sounds like he isn't sure what else to do. At least they carried through on the threat. It's not perfect, but I give them credit for sticking to their guns. Also, in before thread lock... No way this survives the night.

DarkWolverine

July 21st, 2016 at 6:22 PM ^

Fully Agree!
Who cares, especially when it is a trivial PR stunt. If the NBA were serious, make Charlotte team leave the state. NBA is hypocritical with their games in China/Mexico. Will NYC not be allowed to have the ASG because the NBA wants to support large sugared drinks?



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Mr. Yost

July 21st, 2016 at 7:18 PM ^

It's about business!!!!

Think before you hit send.

You know who has BILLIONS on BILLIONS of people? CHINA!

The NBA isn't worried about a political agenda. They want to GROW THEIR BUSINESS. Period.

Why is that so hard to understand?

This is not the NBA waiving some kind of flag in the air...this is the NBA saying, whoa whoa whoa...I'm not going to let someone put their political agenda and ruin my event. I'm staying out of dodge. I don't want advertisers who DO have a political agenda pulling their money. I don't want people ruining the experience for my fans by protesting them while they try to come to my event.

All of those things are bad for business.

Getting Mexicans or the Chinese to love your sport, buy your jerseys, watch your games, invest in your brand...that is GOOOOOOD for the bottom line.

The NBA isn't stupid...only you folks in this thread who don't understand how billion dollar corps stay billion dollar corps. They want money, a quality fan experiene, positive vibes around their event.

In the words of In Living Color...MO MONEY! MO MONEY! MO MONEY!

beardog07

July 22nd, 2016 at 12:08 AM ^

Have you ever stopped for a second to think that maybe the NBA feels that it can actually make a difference in America by moving the game from Charlotte, but a similar stance toward China wouldn accomplish absolutely nothing politically?

Besides, if you ban games in countries that have committed human rights violations, you would have to ban all games in America too.

Mr. Yost

July 21st, 2016 at 7:14 PM ^

1. Grow the fuck up.

2. It's not just about politics. It's about MONEY as well. They have a business to run. They can't sell a global game with protestors and controversy surrounding their event. Period.

Whether you agree with it or not isn't the fucking point. They're not bouncing around from city to city based on a political agenda. They're doing what they think is good for their business...if that is because of something political, well so be it and fuck you for telling someone what's good for their business. It's not your decision to make to begin with and many people who may agree with the politics would do the EXACT same thing if they felt it was bad for their business.

This pea-brain thinking has to stop.

Mr. Yost

July 21st, 2016 at 9:46 PM ^

It's not about being an expert.

It's about using common sense and not acting like everything has to be some big political I'm on the left or the right debate. I'm on the black or the blue debate.

Adam Silver is on the, I want the most green and most positive PR for my league debate while you and your crew are all acting like this is about stance and principle.

The man has a BUSINESS to run. The NBA All Star event is about inviting people to the game, growing the sport, etc. 

It's just like the Sterling thing.

There were PLENTY of people who thought he should've kept his team.

But you know what? Donald Sterling WAS BAD FOR BUSINESS. PERIOD. End of discussion. That is fact not fiction...that's not me being an expert or acting high and mighty. That's me stating what we all know is true. He was affecting dollars and cents.

So argue all you want, but no one is saying you have to agree. I sure plenty of people agree/disagree with HB2 and I'm sure plenty of people agree/disagree with Sterling. But the fact is...both were bad looks for someone who's primary goal is to grow his business and make money.

You can argue whether or not you're for/against HB2 elsewhere - and that's cool. But this topic is pretty cut and dry and calling me an expert is you just being salty cause there's no debate to be had. 

The ACC commish said they're debating on doing the same thing. Fact is, people may be all for the law...but they're not for losing anything out of their paycheck or a distraction to a big event for their company. That's understandable - and SMART.

Sports

July 21st, 2016 at 9:47 PM ^

Politics and sports are inherently interwoven. They're a societal microcosm and we attach social narratives to them. Look at Cam
Newton last year. He was controversial because he didn't fit the stereotype propagated by many other white quarterbacks. Just like Ali, he was unabashed and theatrical and in many ways, that was tied to his race and the ongoing social discussion about race relations in America.



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Wolverheel

July 21st, 2016 at 6:16 PM ^

Bigoted NC laws? I know the politics rule, but I think it's worthwhile to explain to you that someone is not bigoted because they disagree with you. They think the best thing to do is not have transgenders in the opposite bathroom. That doesn't men's they "hate trans people." Whether they're eighth or wrong, VERY few of them are "bigoted."

FreddieMercuryHayes

July 21st, 2016 at 6:27 PM ^

Well this tread is going to go down in flames. But alas, I feel I must contribute to that. I'll try and be respectful in my discourse.

One of the oldest sayings out there is 'actions speak louder than words.' You can say your not bigoted all you want, but when you then fight to abridge the freedoms of other citizens, what are people supposed to think? I have difficulty reconciling the thoughts of people who cry for personal freedom (which I agree with), then try and take away personal freedom of a small subset of people. Then they have the guile to say they have nothing against that subset of people. It's mind bottling.



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Ali G Bomaye

July 22nd, 2016 at 9:07 AM ^

Straw man. Obviously there is, technically speaking, a bathroom for everyone to use.

But do you know what trans people look like? There are plenty of trans men - that is, people who are biologically female, but who identify and present as male - who are indistinguishable in appearance from cis men.

There's a high chance that if this guy, who is a trans man, went into a women's restroom, which he's legally obligated to do in North Carolina, the occupants of that restroom would freak out and/or call the police. This is only my opinion, but I think it's pretty reasonable to say that he doesn't have an option to legally use a bathroom in peace under HB2.